How many grams of carbs is considered 'low carb'?

halimaiqbal00

I typically consume 170g and was curious about the amount of carbs that would be considered 'low'

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

I've seen people say as high as 100g and as low as 5g.

Seems like everyone has a different number they deem low.

cpbendall

Yeah 100g for me would be the high end of 'low carb'

Bonny132

Under 100, unless you aim for keto where it is 20g (but some can stay in keto at up to 50g)

cwolfman13

I'd say below 130

Gallowmere1984

0-150 are the unofficial points that I most often see. 0-30 is considered keto range, though that ends up being more of an individual thing. Some can hold at higher.

ETA: I could personally maintain keto at 60-100g or so last summer, but I was lifting 8-10x per week, and throwing in a fair amount of weight vest walking as well.

Soccermavrick

I personally try to stay around 200, but I am not calling it low carb.

I have seen several guys who compete try to hold at under 70 for about a month or two before a competition.

And I have recently seen someone else doing some sort of Cycle purge where he ranges under 10 one day a week, 70 four others, then 150-200 on Saturday & Sunday. (The cycle is supposed to shock the your system, so that it can't regulate.)

So the words "Low" are open to interpretation as Runaround pointed out.

Scochrane86

150g almost seems like a normal diet to me. I would say low carb under 100.

lemurcat12

cpbendall wrote: »

Yeah 100g for me would be the high end of 'low carb'

This is how I think of it, but really it should be percentage based too -- 30% I'd consider lowish carb, even if the person had a high enough calorie diet to be eating around 200 g.

Really I don't see why it matters, though. You need a more specific amount for keto, but beyond that it's just whatever amount makes you happy and satiated. I've done around 100 g and around 150 g and at my calorie level I'd consider the first low-ish (not really low) and the second moderate, but eh.

GottaBurnEmAll

I'd also consider it more meaningful to talk in terms of % of total calories rather than gram amounts to give context.

As lemurcat pointed out, 250 grams of carbs could be 50% of one persons intake and 30% of someone else's. In the first case, that would be a higher carb intake, but in the second case, that would be what I'd consider a lower carb diet.

In the same vein 150 grams of carbs could be a relatively high portion of someone's daily calories if their calories are on the low side, and citing that as being low carb without overall dietary context has always struck me as rather odd.

AlabasterVerve

It's been years since I've posted this (and it might have changed in the meantime) but here's one attempt to define low carb:

Low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD): less than 50g carbs and 10% calories daily
Low-carb diet (LCD): 50-130g carbs daily and between 10-26% of calories
Moderate-carb diet (MCD): 130-225g carbs daily and between 26-45% of calories

We suggest the following definitions:

The ADA designates low carbohydrate diets as less than 130 g/d or 26% of a nominal 2000 kcal diet and we consider this a reasonable cutoff for the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrate consumption before the epidemic of obesity averaged 43%, and we suggest 26% to 45% as the range for moderate-carbohydrate diets. The intake of less than 30 g/d, as noted above should be referred to as a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLCKD). The term Ketogenic Diet should be reserved for the therapeutic approach to epilepsy. Source

Hornsby

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

It's been years since I've posted this (and it might have changed in the meantime) but here's one attempt to define low carb:

Low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD): less than 50g carbs and 10% calories daily
Low-carb diet (LCD): 50-130g carbs daily and between 10-26% of calories
Moderate-carb diet (MCD): 130-225g carbs daily and between 26-45% of calories

We suggest the following definitions:

The ADA designates low carbohydrate diets as less than 130 g/d or 26% of a nominal 2000 kcal diet and we consider this a reasonable cutoff for the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrate consumption before the epidemic of obesity averaged 43%, and we suggest 26% to 45% as the range for moderate-carbohydrate diets. The intake of less than 30 g/d, as noted above should be referred to as a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLCKD). The term Ketogenic Diet should be reserved for the therapeutic approach to epilepsy. Source

I eat about 250 grams of carbs on a 4k diet. What's that considered? Genuinely curious what people think. I fit the "or 26%...

30kgin2017

I think the reason people see big ranges in carbs for a low cal diet is keto uses net carbs. Total carbs less fiber being net carbs. To be in ketosis you need to keep net carbs under 20g but total carbs might be 50g-80g (depending on the fiber content of the food).

inertiastrength

Any time I'm cutting I consider it low carb because at my activity level (fairly lazy) it's the only macro I can manipulate to create a deficit. I need to get adequate protein and fat and that leaves the most delicious macro of all constantly going up or down. Usually 135g on a cut and around 200 maintenance

trigden1991

Hornsby wrote: »

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

It's been years since I've posted this (and it might have changed in the meantime) but here's one attempt to define low carb:

Low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD): less than 50g carbs and 10% calories daily
Low-carb diet (LCD): 50-130g carbs daily and between 10-26% of calories
Moderate-carb diet (MCD): 130-225g carbs daily and between 26-45% of calories

We suggest the following definitions:

The ADA designates low carbohydrate diets as less than 130 g/d or 26% of a nominal 2000 kcal diet and we consider this a reasonable cutoff for the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrate consumption before the epidemic of obesity averaged 43%, and we suggest 26% to 45% as the range for moderate-carbohydrate diets. The intake of less than 30 g/d, as noted above should be referred to as a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLCKD). The term Ketogenic Diet should be reserved for the therapeutic approach to epilepsy. Source

I eat about 250 grams of carbs on a 4k diet. What's that considered? Genuinely curious what people think. I fit the "or 26%...

Surprisingly low carb for such high calories. What does your Protein/Fat intake look like?

AlabasterVerve

Hornsby wrote: »

AlabasterVerve wrote: »

It's been years since I've posted this (and it might have changed in the meantime) but here's one attempt to define low carb:

Low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD): less than 50g carbs and 10% calories daily
Low-carb diet (LCD): 50-130g carbs daily and between 10-26% of calories
Moderate-carb diet (MCD): 130-225g carbs daily and between 26-45% of calories

We suggest the following definitions:

The ADA designates low carbohydrate diets as less than 130 g/d or 26% of a nominal 2000 kcal diet and we consider this a reasonable cutoff for the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrate consumption before the epidemic of obesity averaged 43%, and we suggest 26% to 45% as the range for moderate-carbohydrate diets. The intake of less than 30 g/d, as noted above should be referred to as a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLCKD). The term Ketogenic Diet should be reserved for the therapeutic approach to epilepsy. Source

I eat about 250 grams of carbs on a 4k diet. What's that considered? Genuinely curious what people think. I fit the "or 26%...

I would consider 250g of carbs high but given your calorie needs moderate carb seems like the more appropriate label. I don't think anyone (but the ADA as you pointed out) would consider it low carb.